'Ballad of Big Boy': Boulder musician records song in honor of Mapleton elk

A group of Boulder residents is organizing a "silent" walk on the Pearl Street Mall on Sunday to honor the elk shot in the Mapleton Hill neighborhood on New Year's Day.

According to the "Justice for the Mapleton Elk" Facebook page, the walk will take place at noon Sunday between 11th and 15th streets.

Participants will be silent during the walk except for the playing of a recording of an elk bugle from their phones.

The elk killed Jan. 1 on Mapleton Hill by an on-duty Boulder police officer is now memorialized in song.

Singer-songwriter Jonathan Bennett, 58, wrote and recorded "Reason to Kill (Ballad of Big Boy)" to pay tribute to the elk and question the judgment of local law enforcement.

"I wanted to honor this noble creature's life," he said of the massive bull elk, which had been given names including Big Boy, Elmo and Bullwinkle. "But this isn't just about animal rights. This goes into the control and discipline of our police department."

Bennett lives more than a mile from the site of the shooting and never saw the elk, but he was compelled to attend Sunday's candlelight vigil, which attracted more than 200 people.

"It was very moving to me that all those people showed up," said Bennett, who began writing the song as soon as he got home from the vigil.

The shooting of the elk, which many Mapleton Hill residents considered a neighborhood guardian, has prompted community backlash, after Boulder police initially denied involvement and then revealed the elk was shot by an on-duty officer. Officials later confirmed that the off-duty officer who assisted in the disposal of the elk had called in sick the night of the shooting.

The officer who shot the elk did not report the incident or notify his supervisors he fired his weapon.

Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett has received nearly 15,000 e-mails, phone calls and letters about the case.

Garnett has met with Colorado Parks and Wildlife -- which is conducting the criminal investigation into the actions of Boulder police officers Sam Carter and Brent Curnow -- and said a decision on charges could be made next week.

"It's sort of mind-boggling that the perpetrators would act with such impunity and recklessness," Bennett said. "I really think we need to scrutinize law enforcement when they don't seem to be following the laws."

Bennett said "Reason to Kill" will appear on his debut album, which he plans to complete this summer. Though he wants people to enjoy his music, he would prefer that the focus be on his message.

"I hope every time someone listens to it, they remember why it was written," he said. "I want to keep the light shining on this issue."

Jonathan Bennett, of Boulder, sits with his guitar inside his studio Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, at his home. Bennett recently composed a song titled "Reason to Kill (Ballad of Big Boy), " in memory of the elk that was shot by police on Mapleton Hill.
(JEREMY PAPASSO)

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